Takht
Bahi Travel Information

Takht Bhai (or Takht Bahi) is an archaeological site in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
province of Pakistan. It is considered the most well preserved Buddhist monetary
in Pakistan-India. It is one of the 6 World Heritage sites in Pakistan.

According to USESCO the site existed earlier than Buddhist
period (2BC to 8AD) and was a Zoroastrian complex which was then converted
into a Buddhist monastery. It is dated to the 1st century BC. The complex is
regarded by archaeologists as being particularly representative of the
architecture of Buddhist monastic centers from its era. It was listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

Locally today the word Takht means throne or above or high and
Bahi means water this name may have been given to the site as there are 2 water
spring on the top of the site.

Other meaning of word Takht Bhai may have different
explanations. In Avestan, takht means "capital" and bahi means "good", so the
whole word means "the good capital".

The ruins are located about 15 kilometers from city Mardan in
and about 110 Kilometers from peshawar as well as Islamabad.

Present day Takht Bahi is a town with a busy bazaar and a
specially restaurants that serve a Kebab called Chapli Kebab. The surrounding
area is famous for sugar cane, wheat, maze, vegetable, and orchards cultivation.

Visit Takht Bahi

Tour of Takht bahi can be taken either from Peshawar or from
Islamabad. It is usually a full day Excursion during which we see Takht Bahi and
Shahbaz Gari and Bazaar of Charsadha all combined. Travel & Culture offers this
tour from either Peshawar or Islamabad for US$ 92.00 per person.
Contact us to book today

Distances

Islamabad to Takht Bhai 155 Kilometers

Peshawar to Takht Bahi 65 Kilometers

Islamabad to Saidu Sharief Swat via Takht Bahi 265 Kilometers

Monastery Structure

There are four main areas of the Takht Bahi complex:

The Stupa Court, a cluster of stupas located in a central
courtyard.

The monastic chambers, consisting of individual cells arranged
around a courtyard, assembly halls, and a dining area.

A temple complex, consisting of stupas and similar to the Stupa
Court, but of later construction.

The Tantric monastic complex, which consists of small, dark
cells with low openings, which may have been used for certain forms of Tantric
meditation.

Additional structures on the site may have served as residences
or meeting halls, or filled secular purposes.[4] All of the buildings on the
site are constructed from local stone, and are mortared with lime and mud.

History of Takht Bahi

The monastic complex likely was founded in the early 1st Century
BC. Despite numerous invasions into the area, Takht Bhai's hilltop location
seems to have protected it from destruction, unlike many comparable early
Buddhist monastic complexes. The complex was occupied continuously until the
modern era, when charitable funding for the site ended. Archaeologists have
divided the history of the complex at Takht Bhai into four periods, beginning in
the 1st Century BCE.[4] This first era continued until the 2nd Century CE, and
is associated with the Kushan king Kanishka, as well as early Parthian and later
Kushana king.[4] The second construction period, which included the creation of
the Stupa Court and assembly hall, took place during the 3rd and 4th Centuries
CE. A third construction period, associated with the later Kushan dynasty and
the Kidara Kushana rulers, occurred during the 4th and 5th centuries. The final
construction period, which saw the creation of the so-called Tantric complex,
took place in the 6th and 7th Centuries CE, and was overseen by invading Hun
rulers.

The first modern historical reference to these ruins was made in
1836 by the French Officer, the Buddhist remains are in a village named
Mazdoorabad.

Explorations and excavations on this site began in 1864.[4] A
significant number of objects from the site can be found in the British
Museum.[5] The site underwent a major restoration in the 1920s.

Nearby localities

The villages of Thordher (Old name Said Ghani Kalae), Lund Khwar,
Sher Garh, Sarop shah, Sehri-Bahlol, Pathai, Mazdoorabad, Fazl-e-abad, Gangai,
Hathian, Jalala, Pirsaddi and Takkar are other historical places in the vicinity
of Takht-Bhai. The most historical location in the era is Sehri Bahlol. This
Buddhist monastery is situated on Malakand Road. The word "Sehri-Bahlol" has
been explained by various people in different ways. Local people claim that this
is a Hindko word meaning "Sir Bahlol", a prominent political and religious
leader of the area. However, the name is not as old as the village of
Sehri-Bahlol.

Meager economic conditions, poor educational facilities, and the
nefarious effect of dealers of antiquities often result in severe hazard for the
proper preservation of archaeological heritage in minor, less controlled sites. Sardar Ali Takkar, a well known Pashto singer, was born in the village of Takkar,
similarly, Hussain ahmad sadiq, a prominent pashto language poet, was also born
in Mazdoorabad, the village of takht bhai.